Atalanta's Gasperini on reaching UEFA Europa League final by beating Marseille

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Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini on reaching UEFA Europa League final by beating Marseille Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy

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00:00Good evening everyone. Mr Gasperini is at your disposal.

00:05As always, before the question, name, surname and age, let's start here.

00:12Good evening coach, congratulations. Martino Cardani, Atalanta Live.

00:16Atalanta's strength is that they know how to alternate games,

00:20like the one in the league in which they kept the pace a little lower,

00:24and games like this in which you dominated Marseille.

00:28Is it a sign of maturity for a team that reached the European final?

00:32Thank you coach and congratulations again.

00:36I don't know, I think we play a lot of games,

00:40and it's not always easy to play as you would like.

00:45There are games that we do better than other games,

00:50in which we struggle more,

00:52but even at Salerno, thankfully we didn't lose,

00:56we won, and tonight was a better game.

01:05Good evening coach, Giorgio Dusi, Bergamo News.

01:07First of all, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for Bergamo.

01:10Thank you.

01:11We were talking about the wait the other day, the spasmodic wait for this game.

01:17It was exactly as you imagined it, on the pitch but also in the environment,

01:22there was a special atmosphere, a different atmosphere tonight at the stadium.

01:28We said it yesterday in the press conference,

01:31that this was a game in which there was a city around us,

01:35there was a fibrillation, a wait,

01:38wherever you went around Bergamo,

01:41whether it was a bar, a street, a shop, a street,

01:44you could feel it.

01:47When there are these emotions, these energies,

01:52it's clear that the players can feel them.

01:56We knew it was going to be a decisive game,

02:01so it was special,

02:03and they interpreted it as energy in the best way.

02:08Please.

02:11Is it off?

02:12Good evening coach, Alberto Giambruno, Netwik.

02:14Congratulations.

02:15Thank you.

02:16Tonight we can say that all roads lead to Rome,

02:19but also to Dublin,

02:20so it's the second final of the season.

02:23What was the first thing that came to your mind when you saw the final whistle?

02:31I also thought about the fans' chants,

02:34that we're going to Dublin.

02:36I started to think about it.

02:38I didn't know what the result would be.

02:43At the time, Rome were 2-0 up,

02:45they were 2-1 up.

02:47Of course, it would have been between us and Rome.

02:51We would have needed a place in the Champions League.

02:58That's how it went,

03:00so a bit of thought went straight to the final.

03:05Even though we have some important games to play in the meantime,

03:10I think it's going to be a fantastic, historic moment for Atalanta's history.

03:18If you don't mind, I'd also like to thank teams like ours,

03:22clubs like ours,

03:23that don't have a large number of players,

03:26compared to some metropolises,

03:30that find themselves playing in a final like that.

03:33We'll all pay attention to that.

03:35I think it's a good omen for all the teams,

03:39even if they're not at the top of their game.

03:42Teams that can reach important goals,

03:45even if they don't necessarily have the numbers that seem to be the most important today.

03:53You need to have an audience,

03:55you need to have numbers,

03:57you need to necessarily have super leagues.

04:00Atalanta, on the other hand,

04:03on these results of ours,

04:06maybe we can give hope to many other teams,

04:10because football is great for meritocracy,

04:15more than for the rights acquired genetically.

04:21Please, over here.

04:25Hi coach, Fabrizio Carcano, good morning.

04:27There are carousels and fireworks outside.

04:30Four years ago, when there was silence and sirens,

04:33Atalanta won two finals,

04:35a victory for all these people.

04:37Absolutely, yes.

04:39It's been four years since we went to Lisbon,

04:49to play in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

04:52We almost forgot,

04:59but the beauty, in addition to the football matches,

05:02is the crowd show.

05:04The crowd shows are always among the most beautiful,

05:08sometimes even more beautiful than the matches,

05:12when there is no violence in the middle,

05:14when there is only participation.

05:17It's clear that after a few years,

05:21to see the stadium so full,

05:23and I really hope that this stadium will end,

05:27to be able to play a match of this level

05:31in a completely finished stadium,

05:35and maybe full, with so many people.

05:37This, for Atalanta,

05:39will be the next goal for the future,

05:42that we hope to achieve.

05:45Please, here.

05:47Alberto Porfiri from Teleclusone.

05:49Congratulations again, coach.

05:51Thank you.

05:52I wanted to ask if you didn't sleep last night,

05:55thinking about Atalanta,

05:56even more offensive than usual,

05:58who played tonight.

06:00Will you be able to sleep tonight,

06:02given the emotion you're feeling?

06:05Maybe tonight.

06:07I usually sleep at night,

06:09before the matches.

06:11After the matches, I have a lot more difficulty.

06:14This is our DNA.

06:16We had all the conditions to play an offensive match,

06:21a match with a trident of attack,

06:25composed of attackers,

06:27and not three-quarters, etc.

06:33It was a force,

06:35even if we could have been more concrete.

06:39We kept the match open.

06:41We created a lot,

06:43but we kept the match open,

06:45at least until 2-0 against Ruggieri.

06:47In Europe, it's not enough

06:49to find a match that changes direction.

06:54Please.

06:55Good evening, coach.

06:56Marco Lombardo from Il Giornale.

06:58After the match against Liverpool,

07:00you revealed the attitude of the team at half-time,

07:04which you didn't want to give up.

07:06You said this is the triumph of a coach's work.

07:09What can you say about Ruggieri's goal tonight?

07:12He's a young player,

07:14who did something that is a bit like his school game.

07:19He scored in a way that you believed in.

07:24Yes, I'm very happy for him.

07:26He scored an extraordinary goal.

07:28He had already scored a great goal in Lisbon

07:31at the start of the season.

07:34If I have to tell you

07:36what I felt in training,

07:38on the right,

07:40it's hard to believe.

07:41On the left, yes.

07:42I often saw him play very well.

07:44He crossed the ball in that condition.

07:47It was really extraordinary.

07:50But what I really liked

07:53is how he got in,

07:55apart from his performance,

07:57his ability to get in,

07:59and his courage.

08:01He was in a good position,

08:03and it was right to shoot.

08:05But in other moments,

08:07he would have tried to get the ball

08:09on his foot comfortably,

08:11and he would have ended up not shooting.

08:13I always tell him,

08:15when you get into the area,

08:17even if you're 25 metres away,

08:19you can't believe it,

08:21but even if you shoot with your foot,

08:23you can always score.

08:25He scored an extraordinary goal.

08:27I'm very happy for him,

08:29and I'm very proud of him.

08:31He's a worthy lad,

08:33he grew up in Zingonia,

08:35he grew up at Atalanta.

08:37This is a great award for him,

08:39but I think it's also for Atalanta.

08:41Please.

08:42Giuseppe Bisanti, Radio Rai.

08:44Good evening.

08:45I'm going to show you this image

08:47I got from my station.

08:49Two minutes to go,

08:51and you finally melt,

08:53turn to the bench,

08:55and smile.

08:57It's like watching fireworks.

08:59It's almost like the end of an American movie.

09:01It's beautiful,

09:03I didn't expect it to be so beautiful.

09:05Atalanta are improving,

09:07they play every three days,

09:09it's getting more and more difficult,

09:11but Atalanta are getting better.

09:15Yes, it's also right

09:17to celebrate,

09:19as we celebrated tonight

09:21in the changing rooms,

09:23because it's a historic achievement for us.

09:25It's the first time

09:27that Atalanta

09:29reach in their history

09:31a European final of this size,

09:33but we didn't win it.

09:35When you win,

09:37you really celebrate.

09:41Now we celebrated,

09:43after Liverpool,

09:45after Lisbon's Sporting,

09:47we celebrated.

09:49It's right,

09:51but we know very well

09:53that it's not over.

09:57There will be other games,

09:59Roma, Juventus,

10:01then there will be the final of Dublin,

10:03which is the one

10:05that removes

10:07our thoughts,

10:09it motivates us much more.

10:13At this moment,

10:15yes,

10:17it's difficult

10:19to make a ranking,

10:21but it's a prestigious one,

10:23because one gives you the Champions League,

10:25two gives you

10:27an international cup,

10:29even the Coppa Italia

10:31is an extraordinary achievement for us,

10:33but among the two,

10:35I think this is the most prestigious.

10:37Please.

10:39Hi Gianpiero, I'm here.

10:41André Riscassi, Rai Sport.

10:43Tonight's referee was Zagabria,

10:454-0.

10:47What has Zagabria done

10:49today and where can this team go?

10:51Thank you.

10:53Zagabria, at a certain point,

10:55Gritti and I were looking at each other,

10:59we happened

11:01in another dimension,

11:03we weren't behind,

11:05we scored three goals.

11:07We couldn't keep up

11:09with the pace,

11:11the speed,

11:13how they came into the area,

11:15first shots, first goals.

11:17I said, this is the Champions League.

11:19I have to say that in these years

11:21there have been moments,

11:23we played against

11:25Manchester City,

11:271-0 up, we conceded five goals.

11:29Against Liverpool,

11:31here at home,

11:33we conceded five goals.

11:35And every time I thought

11:37if it was the case

11:39to play

11:41in a different way,

11:43also because

11:45a lot of people were arrogant

11:47and presumptuous,

11:49and maybe to end up

11:512-0 or 3-0

11:53or 3-1 or something like that.

11:55Instead, we were all

11:57very stubborn.

11:59Then we managed to equalize

12:01against City, we managed to beat

12:03Liverpool, we managed

12:05to win

12:07against Ajax on the road,

12:09we managed to get all the points

12:11that we played for

12:13in the best fields

12:15in Europe.

12:17This year we made a remarkable

12:19journey in the Europa League

12:21and we always tried

12:23to carry on our identity,

12:25always.

12:29But I have to say that in Europe

12:31we conceded

12:33a few bad games.

12:35I remember the one against Leipzig

12:37where we played an extraordinary 1-1

12:39from them, where we deserved

12:41to win. Then at home

12:43we made a few mistakes.

12:45But in Europe

12:47we often did well.

12:51Good evening, Mr. Matteo Brega, Gazetta dello Sport.

12:53Not long ago, the President

12:55said that maybe one day

12:57we will have a top player.

12:59Do you want to finish the sentence?

13:01Do you want to add something?

13:03I would be in a hurry

13:05to say it, but...

13:07The President

13:09also said that the coach

13:11doesn't ask for a player.

13:13Yes, I have to start asking.

13:15I don't know,

13:17you have to say this.

13:19We have already changed

13:21several teams.

13:23If I think about the first years,

13:25even Zagreb, I don't know who remained.

13:27Maybe De Roon.

13:29I don't know, I would have to go and see the formations.

13:31There were very few left.

13:33We had

13:35an extraordinary formation

13:37that played very well.

13:41With great technical quality.

13:43Then it changed a bit.

13:45Now it has changed a lot.

13:47This is a team that

13:49technically, even tonight,

13:51is not so precise.

13:55But it has other important qualities.

13:57We played against

13:59strong teams.

14:01We held on well.

14:03The technical aspect

14:05is still missing.

14:07There are still some

14:09possibilities

14:11to close.

14:13But we have

14:15completely different characteristics

14:17compared to the teams behind,

14:19but still effective.

14:21Last one here.

14:25Good evening, Emanuele Gamba, Repubblica.

14:27I wanted to ask about the speech

14:29you made earlier on Atalanta, on the numbers, etc.

14:31Also for the Bayer Leverkusen.

14:33Do you prefer

14:35a game like this,

14:37or do you prefer

14:39to meet

14:41one of those metropolitans

14:43like Liverpool or City?

14:45When you meet

14:47those teams,

14:49apparently there is

14:51a better prestige.

14:55Because they are

14:57the history of football.

14:59But the Bayer Leverkusen

15:01that we played

15:03only two years ago against them

15:05in the Europa League.

15:09There was no Savi Alonso.

15:11It was already a great team.

15:13We passed the turn.

15:15Then we were eliminated

15:17by Leipzig.

15:21It's true.

15:23There are two teams that

15:25perhaps don't have

15:27such fantastic numbers

15:29or such important numbers.

15:31They are not the ones

15:33that are particularly liked

15:35on TV for the audience

15:37and for the high praise.

15:41But they are two teams

15:43that play football

15:45and they won an extraordinary championship.

15:47In an incredible way.

15:51For the path

15:53that we are taking in these years.

15:57It's a novelty.

15:59As I said before,

16:01it leaves a lot to be desired.

16:03Perhaps it makes you think

16:05that football can be played

16:07without necessarily

16:09millions of followers

16:11and millions of people

16:13and fans.

16:15Football is not only for them.

16:17It's for our 14,000

16:19tonight.

16:21Thank you all.

16:23Good evening.

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